Culture Crossroads S2020E19 - WHAT'S YOUR CONNECTION?: Aiming for Coexistence with Plastic

In this episode, we answer a question from a viewer living in Russia, "Can you tell me what is happening with plastic waste in such a technologically advanced country?" Our reporter is Russian broadcast announcer Anastasia Monakova. Japan is advanced in separating and recycling trash, but it also produces a significant portion of the world's plastic waste. To reduce waste, shops started charging for plastic shopping bags in July. But the amount of plastic waste generated by households is increasing due to COVID-19. We visit Kamakura, which was the first city in Japan to make a "zero plastic waste" declaration. In addition, bioplastics are attracting attention as they are kind to nature and recyclable options. Some are made from plant-derived materials and some are decomposed by microorganisms. We visit the laboratory of Professor Iwata Tadahisa of the University of Tokyo, who is a leader in this field. We cover the professor's work at the forefront of bioplastic research.